


Relationships Aren't Always Convenient

by loxxela



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi overthinking everything, Eventual Canon Divergence, Eventual Shuake, Fluff and Humor, M/M, My First AO3 Post, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Some angst, Video Game Mechanics, convenience store Akira, customer service Akira is dead inside, in this house we don't stan Shido, spoilers for Vanilla Persona 5 only
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:41:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25371046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loxxela/pseuds/loxxela
Summary: Apparently Akira Kurusu works at a convenience store. Day in and day out, dealing with all sorts of problems, whether it be weird requests or attitude from customers, he experiences it all. Through all this, he keeps his cool, attempting to calm each customer down. This mask of Akira’s wasn’t something Akechi knew about and he begins to wonder: What else does he not know about Kurusu? As a result, Akechi has made it his job to investigate, even if it means visiting the 777 in Shibuya constantly, much to growing confusion of the Thieves.OrAkechi finds out Akira Kurusu works a job in the convenience store and discovers customer-service Akira. He overthinks this and finds a deeper meaning in it. He “casually” visits over and over again, getting a bit closer to the underpaid cashier each time.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 28
Kudos: 149





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first fic. I fell in love with Persona 5 vanilla and Royal. So I decided to make a fic about it. This is my first fic and as a result, constructive criticism and feedback is greatly appreciated (^_^)  
> I hope to make this multi-chaptered and come up with a plot for it. I got this idea recently and couldn't resist writing about it. 
> 
> The fic contains only P5 vanilla spoilers and I hope to integrate more characters into it. 
> 
> Also, it's a crime that in P5 other confidants can encounter Akira working at the convenience store, but Akechi can't. So this fic exists to fill that desire.

Simply put, Goro Akechi had a long day. Now there were a myriad of reasons for this.

Firstly, was his deal with the Phantom Thieves. It had only been a few weeks since he approached the Thieves with evidence of their Metaverse activities and he had proposed a deal, which looking back on it he could see why they viewed it as blackmail and perhaps their shared dislike of him was warranted.

When he made this deal, he wasn’t expecting this charade to be so exhausting. Akechi had gone to the Metaverse many times alone, no healing, no Navi, and no diverse stock of personas that Joker conveniently had. He wasn’t expecting it to be easy per se, but not this draining. And perhaps it was how Joker did things. He had this mental schedule, one he would not tell anyone ahead of time, where he would go several days without doing even a bit of the palace and then would decide to embark into the casino and complete a quarter of it in a day. Instead of doing a little of the palace a day, like a sane person, Joker decided to take multiple days to “max his confidant ranks” (whatever that was supposed to mean). As a result, yesterday was spent making up for the lost time and progressing past the members floor to the high limits floor.

In addition to this, Joker’s method of progressing through the palace was peculiar. There were two habits that never failed to irk Akechi, chipping away at Akechi’s princely demeanor each time. Joker never failed to stop by each and every safe room. There was a safe room on the high limits floor and despite this Joker felt the need to stop by not only the arena safe room but also the maze safe room. And in each of these safe rooms, would be the time when everyone would make themselves at home and chug down LeBlanc coffee. And then carry on, as if this was normal.

The other habit that got onto Akechi’s nerves was Joker’s itching need for goods. Whether it be restlessly negotiating the irritable shadows for their goods or unlocking each chest (to Morgana’s delight), Akechi was suspecting they weren’t known as the Phantom Thieves for stealing hurts but rather Joker’s kleptomania. And his desire for money and goods seemed insatiable. Each time that Joker insisted that the downed shadow could “do better than that”, Akechi wanted to pull out his gun right there, end Kurusu, and then his own misery.

Without a doubt, acclimating to the Phantom Thieves was not only irritating but also tiring. Although the trip to the palace was yesterday, Akechi could still feel the exhaustion eating away at his bones. Which brings him to his next source of mental exhaustion. He felt his phone buzzing in his pocket, and without checking, he already knew who it was. Despite this, he silently hoped for a miracle, maybe it was Kurusu calling, hoping to meet up and do possibly mundane things. Lady luck was never on Akechi’s side, so with a sigh, he answered the call from the unknown number.

“Yes, Shido-san?”

Listening closely, Akechi could hear the subtle sounds of footsteps, and knowing Shido and his cliche bad guy personality, he was most likely walking towards the gigantic windows behind his desk, peering over the buildings of Japan.

Shido’s villain routine wouldn’t be complete without vague and commanding threats of course.

“I trust that everything is proceeding according to plan?” It was phrased like a question, but Shido’s sharp tones and low growl allowed for only one answer.

Akechi hated himself, how he stooped so low for this miserable low life and how he didn’t hesitate to answer “Yes, of course, sir.”

“You better not disappoint me. And don’t get cocky either, you’re as expendable as the rest of them.”

Before Akechi could respond the line went dead. He had so many things he wished he could say to the man.

_Screw you._

_You say that now, wait until I exact my revenge._

But would he say either of those things? No, he would say something like _Yes sir, I won’t disappoint you. Everything is running smoothly._ And Shido would throw him a bone, something like _Good, I’m glad you understand. Good job so far._ It was a tiny bit of praise, but it would stay with Akechi and he would find himself in Mementos taking out one of Shido’s targets, like the guard dog he was trained to be.

The rebellious flame inside seemed to flicker a bit and Akechi felt exhausted. Boarding the subway made him realize how drained he truly felt. After a long day at school, working as a detective, and plotting Kurusu’s demise, Akechi felt like a walking corpse. His legs barely supported him and he swayed in time with the train. He chided himself for looking so weak. He had more to do once he returned to his apartment, anyways. He had to keep up the charismatic, perfect, princely persona, and part of that was completing both his school and detective work in a timely manner. So that meant, studying for exams to ensure he would be top of the class and type up papers for the Phantom Thieves case as if he didn’t know the truth. It was a bit ironic, him looking into the mental shutdown cases, a tragic sort of irony.

But as he was saying, Akechi had an appearance to maintain. He couldn’t succumb to the mental Morgana that was commanding him to go to sleep NOW. Akechi couldn’t afford the media to see him pass out in a public place. He could imagine the outlandish fan theories and tabloid articles that would sprout.

_Akechi’s lovelife: What’s keeping him up at night?_

_Goro Akechi: The Not-so perfect detective prince_

_Goro Akechi nearly dies on the public subway_

He had an image to maintain, so with grace similar to Ryuji’s, he stumbled off the train and was determined to acquire some source of caffeine. While waiting on the train till he reached Yongen-jaya and go to LeBlanc sounded entirely appealing, Akechi wasn’t certain if he could last that long. It was getting to the point where his eyelids were heavy and each step was an effort. Although he had grown accustomed to the exquisite taste of LeBlanc’s coffee, largely due to Kurusu bringing some to each palace heist and Akechi chugging it like a coffee gremlin, he didn’t think he could last another second on the subway. Not only that, but Akechi knew, although he would never admit, that if he went to LeBlanc and Kurusu was there, Akechi wouldn’t leave for hours. There was something that was intriguing about that seemingly bland boy that Akechi was slightly disappointed that the palace deadline was creeping closer.

_You let yourself get too close_ , his mind helpfully supplied.

Akechi will just avoid Kurusu outside of the palace, come up with some mediocre excuses like he had work to do or that he was currently occupied. He only had to last a week.

* * *

Goro Akechi found himself outside of the Shibuya 777. To the passerby on his way there, he looked like a walking corpse. Akechi found that for once in his life, he didn’t care what the public thought. The only thing that he cared about was acquiring the liquid life that is caffeine. His standards of what form it came in seemed greatly reduced. So this is what brings him to his current predicament.

He was wearily glancing between the energy drinks and the coffee. Akechi couldn’t focus. Maybe it was the tiredness or maybe it was the customer’s growing frustration behind him that their favorite snack wasn’t in stock. He could make out the cashier’s monotone mediating, offering other sweets that they had in stock, including -gasp- a seasonal one.

The throbbing in Akechi’s head seemed to triple as the customer let out a loud groan and demanded the date of the next shipment. Now if Akechi wasn’t a darling in the eyes of the media, he probably would have spun on his heel and cursed the customer for their pettiness. But that was useless wishing, so Akechi kept his mask in place, and settled on the energy drink. He walked over to the line, as the customer continued to vent their frustrations.

At this point, the cashier’s own frustrations seemed to slip through, although it was carefully guarded by a sickly sweet, customer service voice.  
“I’m sorry ma’am, we don’t know when the next shipment will be, but hopefully it will soon. Can I interest you in a coupon for our seasonal snacks?”

Akechi could barely make out the cashier offering a coupon warily. At this point, the other people in the queue were awkwardly shifting, impatience growing. The customer at the front of the line seemed to ignore everyone’s silent pleas to please leave.

The coupon for a Buy one, get one free Plum flavored KitKat bar was snatched and crumbled. “I’m never coming here again!”

After delivering a speech about how this 777 convenience store should fire this new worker and how she deserved better than the worker’s attitude, she stomped out of the convenience store. Akechi nearly felt bad for the worker, as he bent down to pick up the crumbled, rejected coupon. Emphasis on nearly.

Akechi finally reached the front and was ready to hand over his ready make meal and energy drink, when he felt his words get lodged in his throat. This poor worker that garnered his sympathy was the same attic trash that he was plotting to kill in a few days.

Kurusu didn’t seem to notice him at first, delivering a rehearsed apology of “I’m so sorry for the wait, is this all for today?” Akechi willed himself to say something, but he was stuck.

Firstly, he didn’t know that Kurusu worked here.

Secondly, and perhaps the most shocking, was how Kurusu was acting. Akechi had never seen this side of Kurusu and frankly, he thought that there were only two sides of Kurusu; the quiet, awkward part-time student, part-time barista, and the overconfident and cocky Joker. He thought that he had Kurusu figured out, but somehow, customer-service Kurusu seemed to hit him like a bus.

Perhaps, it’s because you two are more similar than you think? Putting on a smile for the public, his brain decided to supply. Akechi dutifully ignored this part of him.

At this point, Kurusu definitely noticed him, he offered him a polite smile (was it genuine?).

“Hey Akechi, wasn’t expecting you here,” he said, leaning against the counter. “Were you here for that whole scene earlier, crazy right?” Akechi watched as Kurusu casually scanned his two items.

“I didn’t know you worked here, Kurusu-kun,” he finally replied.

Kurusu nodded as he tapped at the buttons of the register. “Yep,” he said, popping the “p”, “sometimes at the flower shop or the beef bowl when I’ve got time. They needed my help today though.”

Akechi thought he knew everything about Kurusu, so Kurusu’s casual 3 jobs (not including LeBlanc) gave Akechi whiplash. He hadn’t anticipated this. What else did he not know about Kurusu? If this somewhat polite demeanour was one of Kurusu’s masks, what others did he have?

To a sane person, Akira Kurusu just seemed like a teen getting by in his minimum wage job, putting on an occasional fake smile while he watched the minutes of his shift slowly go by. To Akechi, Kurusu was an enigma and this was the reason he gave himself when he vowed to visit the Shibuya 777 again.

Did he vow to avoid Kurusu as much as possible? Yes. But this was important, he told himself, it was research. He had to investigate this more.

So with all the determination he could will into his caffeine-deprived body, he dropped the 600 yen on the counter, took the bag, and declared to himself that this was very much not over. Kurusu may have won this battle, but he has not won the war. The Palace’s deadline would be his deadline to figure out Kurusu.

_You know what they say_ , he thought to himself, _Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer._


	2. "Come again."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akechi visits again. He learns more about Akira Kurusu and he feels that both of their masks are slipping a bit. He starts to wonder why he truly keeps coming back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness! I would first like to say that I am shocked. I appreciate the reception for the first chapter! So many kind comments and kudos, you guys made my week!! 
> 
> I really hope that you guys like this chapter, it's a bit longer than the previous one (this one's 2600 words :)  
> I finally planned out the chapters and storyline, and it looks like it will be 5-ish chapters and I'll try to update each week (may change based on work and school). 
> 
> Once again, thank you all so much ^_^

The only thing that was keeping Akechi awake was the 777 brand energy drink and pure determination. After two hours of homework, the effects of the caffeine were starting to wear away. The reasonable part of Akechi was telling him that it was 2 am and now should be the time when he sleeps. The unreasonable part of Akechi was telling him that Kurusu’s behavior was odd and unexpected. 

_You’re supposed to end the Phantom Thieves in less than a week,_ his caffeine-ridden mind supplied, _You should know everything about the leader._

Because what if he messes up? Shido doesn’t allow for mistakes. Akechi knows firsthand what Masayoshi Shido does with people who disappoint him. 

But was this Akechi’s only reason for delving into Kurusu’s behavior? 

Short answer: No. But was this the answer that Akechi was going to give himself? No. He convinced himself that visiting the 777 in Shibuya was no different than his frequent stops at LeBlanc. On the surface, he acted like he wanted to get to know Kurusu better. But certainly, these visits were to trick the Phantom Thieves, make them believe that he had no ill intentions. 

But back to the task at hand. Akechi’s eyes were currently burning with the brightness of his laptop screen. He was staring at the Google page in frustration. Research was usually second nature to him, as it was an important part of his detective work. But how was he supposed to approach this? 

Search “How to psychoanalysis the boy I am supposed to kill” on Wikihow? 

Truthfully, Akechi had no idea. 

“‘I’ll look into it more tomorrow,” he told himself, as he shut down his computer, “Kurusu, whatever your plan is, I will uncover.” 

He briefly wonders if the truth is more simple. Maybe Kurusu doesn’t have any ulterior motives. That thought is quickly discarded. 

* * *

Akechi is at 777 with a clearer head. Unlike yesterday, his isn’t running on 3 hours of sleep, He managed to get 4 hours last night (or technically this morning) and before he left, he downed a cup of the police station’s cheap coffee (he tried to tone down his grimace, he’s gotten too used to LeBlanc’s exquisite coffee). 

So far everything had gone relatively smoothly and to Akechi’s favor. For starters, Akira didn’t call everyone to LeBlanc for a meeting. A Phantom Thieves meeting meant one of two things. Firstly, it could mean that they would infiltrate the Palace. Secondly, it could mean that they would all stack up inside the Monobus (which Akechi still hasn’t completely accepted that they are riding _inside_ Morgana) and run over shadows, for hours and hours. With how long he has been with the Thieves, he has learned that Morgana will forbid Kurusu from doing virtually anything after going into the Metaverse. Not this isn’t the most surprising part of it. The most surprising is that Kurusu actually listens and will proceed to do nothing for the rest of the day. 

Akechi was lucky that there was no spontaneous meeting. A sudden meeting would hinder his investigation. Thankfully, today was one of those days that Kurusu committed to confidants, shopping, and social stats. So it appeared that Kurusu’s schedule should be relatively free. 

Now Akechi had stated that everything was going _relatively_ smoothly, which brings him to the two obstacles. 

One obstacle lied in the fact that he had no way of ensuring that Kurusu would come to 777. Kurusu mentioned that he not only worked at 777, but also the Beef Bowl and the flower shop. What if today was when he didn’t work at the convenience store? Akechi was quite frankly banking on fate. 

The other bump in his relatively smooth day was that he had been in and out of this 777 in Shibuya for two hours. During these two hours, he was able to explore the rest of what Shibuya had to offer. Simply put, he visited the Beef Bowl and the Underground Mall. Akechi was starting to lose hope. He _could_ send Kurusu a casual message. It wasn’t like he was doing much at the moment. He was currently at the convenience store, pretending to contemplate whether he wanted to buy the instant ramen or rice balls whenever the worker gave him a concerned glance. 

He decided to click on Kurusu’s contact, pointedly ignoring the Phantom Thieves group chat that was blowing up. An hour ago, they were talking about important things, such as the deadline and the palace. Now, Kitagawa was discussing how encapturing Mementos is to paint and Sakamoto was arguing that putting milk before cereal was completely valid. Basically, a whole bunch of nonsense that didn’t concern Akechi, he clearly had more important issues to attend to. He was in the middle of retyping and deleting his message again, trying to find a message that sounded casual and not stalker-ish, when he heard the 777 door open. That on its own wasn’t notable, but the cashier, who was sending Akechi more and more glances by the minute, welcomed this person with a semi-enthusiastic, “Hey, Kurusu-kun.” 

Yesterday, he was at a disadvantage. His half-asleep brain collected barely any details, and he felt as a detective he ultimately failed. Today would be the day he would analyze Kurusu, ask what he’s trying to do, what games he’s trying to play. Akechi wasn’t going to be outplayed by some attic-dwelling delinquent. 

Grabbing both the rice ball and the instant ramen, Akechi hesitantly peeked over the shelves, capturing a glance of Kurusu. The first thing that hit him was the uniform. He didn’t get to truly see it and now that he can, he has to hold back a snicker. Akira Kurusu was all about style, whether it be in the real world or in the Metaverse. He loved to show off, with All-Out Attacks each and every time he downed the enemy, or stylishly ambushing the enemies. Akira Kurusu was flashy. Even now he was flashy, but not the stylish type, for sure. 

His uniform looked like a watermelon. The bright pink and green of the uniform assaulted the eyes and starkly contrasted the rest of Kurusu. What threw Akechi off was that he could never imagine Kurusu wearing that. He mainly saw Kurusu in black and red, so seeing him awkwardly standing behind the counter in bright green and pink was surreal.

The next thing to hit him was when he started to get closer to Kurusu. He was going to check out his food and maybe ask Kurusu a few questions, when he was stopped in his tracks. 

It was relatively dark outside, but he could see bright blue eyes peeking through the window. He knew without a doubt who it was, the bane of Akechi’s existence, next to Shido. 

Now Akechi knew that Morgana and Kurusu were attached at the hip. He was flabbergasted when he found out from the Thieves that Kurusu actually brings the wretched cat to school. For some reason, he just couldn’t comprehend that Akira Kurusu would actually bring the feline to work, for the cat to just watch through the window the whole time. 

His shocked staring was interrupted by Morgana tilting his head, now noticing Akechi. He cranked up his charismatic prince act and put on a slight smile as he made his way to the line. Behind the people in line and the cashiers, he could see Morgana lowering himself to a cautionary position, watching each of Akechi’s moves. 

_Just ignore him,_ he reminded himself. He had something important to tend to, and in a few minutes, once each of these customers have been taken care of, Akechi can get answers. 

He finally made it near the front of the line, only one person in front of him. At the moment, Kurusu hadn’t noticed him, currently preoccupied with printing off a receipt for the customer and calling for the next one. Soon, he will be a step closer to ensuring Akira Kurusu’s demise. A part of him was disappointed. He would miss this cat and mouse game that they played. There are some plus sides, at least. For starters, he would be closer to ending Shido, reaching his ultimate goal, years of planning finally coming to a close. In addition, he wouldn’t have to be bothered by the Thieves anymore. Once Akira Kurusu dies, the Thieves won’t know what to do. They may go their separate ways and soon forget about the boy who brought them all together.

He used to feel happy about this. And he didn’t want to admit it, but the past few weeks had been a bit enjoyable. Being able to battle in the Metaverse, knowing that someone had his back. He could receive healing in a few seconds and he could be cured of status ailments quickly. He no longer had to huddle on the grimy Mementos subway seating, hoping he wouldn’t bleed out right there. It was kind of nice in a way that was so foreign to Akechi. 

But it was temporary. And Akechi let himself be weak these past few weeks. Some days, he found himself forgetting about the deadline and the Thieves’ inevitable death (both literally and metaphorically). Sometimes, he lost himself in the moment, allowing himself to get lost in the rush of Sae’s palace. 

_Not anymore though,_ he reminded himself. 

Unfortunately, Akechi’s internal monologue was interrupted by the loud clanging and clashing of metal. For a moment, his princely mask slipped, replaced by genuine confusion. 

In front of him was a scene. Kurusu was standing behind the counter, staring at the customer, with an empty look. The counter was covered in five, ten, and a few 50 yen coins. It wasn’t just a few coins, the coins formed a small metallic hill on the counter, of different shades and values. Next to Kurusu was his coworker, hand faltering to give her customer their change. All eyes were on the yen pile, Kurusu, and the oblivious customer. 

“The total was 1,000 yen, right?” the customer asked. “Uhh, I’m not entirely sure how much this is, if you want to count it.” 

He watched as Kurusu sent a quick glance at his coworker, proceeded to tug at his fringe, and nodded. 

After minutes of clanging, and at times, picking up yen coins that managed to fall from the counter onto the floor, Kurusu was finished. Truth be told, this task could have been finished quicker if Kurusu didn’t lose count halfway through, sending an apologetic glance at the customer. None of that mattered, now that the customer was exiting with the leftover yen and a plastic bag in hand. Kurusu gave a halfhearted thank you, not even mustering a polite smile this time. 

It was all very interesting to Akechi. 

“Why do you do this?” Akechi asked, trying to keep the creeping judgemental tone out of his voice. 

Kurusu tilted his head to the side, leveling a questioning glance at him. “What do you mean?”

“Why do you work here?” Akechi began, frustration beginning to well up in him. He was frustrated that he couldn’t figure out Kurusu. He was frustrated that he had less than a week till the deadline. He was frustrated that he barely had a choice in this manner, that Shido was pulling the strings behind the scenes, dictating everything. It’s always been Masayoshi Shido pulling the strings, hasn’t it? 

Akechi was frustrated that Kurusu was acting clueless. 

But ultimately, Akechi was frustrated that he came here again today. That he gave himself the excuse that it was an investigation, to ensure that his plans are carried out successfully. That his mind nagged that wasn’t the only reason he came. 

Akechi could feel his media smile slip a little, a bit of venom leaking into his voice, “What are you trying to do, Kurusu?” 

Kurusu’s posture relaxed, as he leaned his weight against the counter. Placing his elbows on the counter, he looked up at Akechi through his glasses, an easy smile on his face. He shrugged with one shoulder, as he gently took Akechi’s items from his hands. 

“Why are you wondering?” he asked, mischief leaking into his voice. Right now, it didn’t feel like Akechi was talking to Akira Kurusu. No, in front of him was Joker, confident and in-control. Akechi hated it. 

So Akechi did what he knew Kurusu hated. If Kurusu was going to put on a mask, so would Akechi. 

He easily replaced his detective prince mask, smiling at Kurusu, “I just found it curious why you would feel the need to work 3 jobs, Kurusu-kun. That’s a lot for a high school student. I believe you should be focusing on exams, extracurr-”

“I do it for the team,” he interrupted. 

“The team?” Akechi echoed, feeling the fight drain out of him, replaced by a spark of curiosity. 

Kurusu turned towards the register, finally ringing up the rest of Akechi’s items. Kurusu angled his face away from Akechi as he continued, “I work to make some extra money for the team. I’m just doing my part.” A pause. “You owe 350 yen.” 

Akechi placed the yen on the counter, fixing Kurusu with an inquisitive gaze. “It seems like you’re doing the most out of everyone. I don’t see the others working jobs to help. It doesn’t sound like a fair tradeoff.”

Kurusu let out a soft sigh. “It doesn’t always have to be fair, Akechi. They didn’t force me to work these jobs, I did it because I wanted to.” Kurusu slid the plastic bag containing the onigiri and sandwich over the counter. As he did so, he stopped leaning on the counter, straightening up. They were now level with one another, neither of them breaking eye contact. It felt like the world was slowing down, that they were the only ones in this 777.

“Sometimes it’s important to be selfless.”

And just like that, the world resumes and Akechi takes the bag. 

“Come again.” It’s the same words that Kurusu says to the customers as they leave, but for some reason, it’s different. It’s genuine. 

Akechi doesn’t say anything. He simply turns away and leaves. As he walks outside, he tries to ignore the cold that threatens to seep into his bones. He also tries to ignore his distracting, rapid pulse, his heart hammering. 

* * *

Akira Kurusu laid awake in the attic of LeBlanc, trying to distract himself from the heavy weight on his chest. Said heavy weight wouldn’t let himself be disregarded. 

“Don’t you think it’s weird that we saw Akechi _again_ , today?” Morgana doesn’t wait for an answer. “It’s really weird. I think he’s up to something.” 

Akira gave a small hum of approval. 

“We have to be careful, who knows what he’s planning,” Morgana continued, “I have a feeling it’s something bad though.” 

Akira let out a soft sigh, “I’m sure we’ll see him again and we’ll figure it out. For now, how about we sleep?” 

“I can get on board with that.” 

Sleep didn’t come easily to Akira. He laid awake for a while, replaying his conversations with Akechi over and over in his head. It hurt to know that in a week, Akechi would betray them. That the bond that they built, however genuine or fake it may be, would be severed. Akira dully wondered if there was a way to change things, to stop the inevitable from happening. Maybe it’s wishful thinking. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. As always, I appreciate comments and feedback. This chapter had a bit more Shuake and I'm planning for more in future chapters.


	3. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akechi visits one last time and comes to terms with why he continues to visits. He wonders if maybe he can open up to Akira.
> 
> Also, Akira needs to level up his stats and this has consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness!! Thank you all so much for the kudos and the comments!! I loved reading each and every one of them and they made me so happy, so thank you!!
> 
> I really meant to get this chapter out sooner, but with a hurricane hitting, my internet went out T_T   
> Good news though, this chapter is quite long!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

Goro Akechi was just exiting his classes when the telltale buzz of the Phantom Thieves group chat rang out. Right away, he knew what it was about. 

Within the past two days, the stress of the Phantom Thieves has been amounting. At first, it started with one or two conversations about Sae and the palace. Today, Akechi’s phone had been buzzing throughout class earning peeved glances from teachers and suspicious glances from students. 

_ “Does Akechi-kun have friends now?”  _

_ “What if it’s someone  _ special _?”  _

Usually, Akechi wouldn’t worry about shutting off his phone during school time, as the only one who would ever contact him was Shido. And Akechi will give Shido some credit, at least he acknowledged the fact that Akechi had school and generally didn’t bother him during these hours. The Phantom Thieves couldn’t care less. They texted him throughout school, wondering about Sae’s palace, deadlines, and occasionally sharing a meme or two. Akechi wasn’t used to the frequent messages that were from someone other than Shido. 

Initially, he was a bit grateful for this. It made him feel a bit normal. He felt like he could understand his peers when they discussed group chats that they muted or being left on read. He enjoyed this feeling of relatability. 

After a while, novelty got old. The Phantom Thieves stressing about the Metaverse was getting tiring. What got on Akechi’s nerves the most was Kurusu’s short responses. 

_ Akira, are we going to the palace today?  _ Sent by Makoto. 

Kurusu’s response:  _ Maybe. I’ll think about it.  _

His habits of being both completely vague and indecisive were starting to grate on his nerves. Truth be told, he was starting to get a bit antsy about the deadline. Why was Kurusu pushing the palace back? Akechi knew for a fact he wasn’t doing something more important. Although Akechi would not hesitate to demean and debase the Phantom Thieves, he still believes that their work is infinitely more important than Kurusu’s convenience store side gig. 

He assumes that Kurusu was starting to realize this too, along with the fact that they had a few days until the deadline. The Phantom Thieves leader decided to announce a meeting ASAP at LeBlanc. 

Ignoring the whisper of peers, as rumors were spread from student to student, Akechi let out a huff, making his way to Yongen-jaya. 

* * *

The bright lights of Sae’s Palace blinded Akechi for a moment, having to adjust from the previous dimness of LeBlanc to the neon lights of the casino. From outside he could hear the sounds of the casino, a low rumble of machinery and people. His blood was pumping and he was ready to jump headfirst into the Palace, letting his instincts guide him and cut apart each shadow without mercy. 

Unfortunately, he couldn’t do that, not yet. 

Right now, Akira Kurusu was standing motionless in the distance, staring into space. The other Thieves lingered nearby, waiting till Kurusu was done. What he was doing, Akechi had no idea. The only thing that Akechi knew was that once Kurusu was done, he would now have a new set of personas, quietly mumbling something about Velvet Rooms and guillotines. It was a bit concerning, to say the least, but Akechi didn’t feel like he was in the right to judge  _ anyone  _ on their state of mind. So like the rest of the Phantom Thieves, he stayed quiet and hoped that Kurusu’s trip to la-la land wouldn’t take too long. 

“I’m back,” came Kurusu’s voice from behind. 

“We’ve got a lot of the palace to go,” Morgana started, “I think it’s a good idea to rotate the team every now and then.” 

There were some nods and murmurs of agreement. To start off with, Joker chose Mona, Queen, and Crow. With Velvet Rooms and team lineups out of the way, they were ready to conquer the palace. 

* * *

“I hate to be rude,” Queen began, slumping against a chair in the safe room, “But I think maybe you should pace the team a bit better.” 

Because they were running short on time, Joker decided to “speedrun the palace” as Oracle put it. They managed to get through the pitch dark maze, although they lost their way multiple times. One instance, they found themselves back at the entrance of the maze, losing most of their hope. Once they were finally done with the maze and taking down the shadows inside, it felt like a good stopping point. Akechi was actually a bit relieved when the first thing Joker did was make a bee-line to the nearest safe room. This relief was very short-lived though, as Joker only pulled out his journal to add an entry and took a swig of vending machine soda. As soon as he was finished, he was ushering everyone out of the safe room again. 

They then went to the arena. They found out that Joker would have to solo the arena, and Akechi would’ve been worried if Joker didn’t somehow get the most overpowered personas. So most of the battle was spent watching Joker’s personas drain or reflect damage. Even when Joker took some damage, he just consumed some of the shady medicine he somehow got from an alley doctor. Once again, Akechi tried not to question this. 

Long story short, after having to battle a multitude of shadows without any rest, he was glad they were taking a short breather in the safe room. For once, he actually found himself agreeing with Nijima and the rest of the Thieves. 

“On the bright side,” Mona piped up, shooting up on the table, “I can sense the treasure, we’re almost there.” 

“Maybe we should take a short break,” Panther suggested. Because Akechi is  _ nice _ , he resisted the urge to point out that she had no reason to be tired, that she had been swapped into battle once to put the shadow to sleep and was immediately subbed out. Because Akechi is  _ nice _ , he kept quiet. 

Akechi watched Mona nod his oversized head like a bobble toy. “I agree! I think after our break we can finish the rest of the palace! What do you think, Joker?” 

Unsurprisingly, Joker’s only response was a nod. 

Akechi watched Joker out of the corner of his eye as he took a bite out of his 777 sandwich. Yesterday, he mentioned something about being selfless, but not even Joker can be that perfect. He  _ had _ to have some flaws. 

It wasn’t fair. 

Akechi let himself stare off into space, contemplating the workings of Joker. What makes him tick? What is Joker selfish about? Does Joker suspect Akechi?

Will Akechi miss whatever they had once a bullet is lodged in Kurusu’s head?

He didn’t notice Joker hovering over him until he was just inches away. “Crow, are you alright?” 

Akechi fully tried to not choke on the cheap sandwich as it felt like his heart leapt into his throat. Despite his endless criticisms of Joker, he will give him this, he is very stealthy. 

After nearly dying, Akechi placed a strained smile on his face, hoping his voice came out smoothly. “Y-yes I am, Joker, why do you ask?” Ah yes, very smooth. 

“Just making sure,” he started, “I know that I made a few wrong turns during the maze.” A few was the understatement of the year. Turn after turn, Akechi had accepted being stuck in a pitch dark maze inside Sae’s heart for all eternity. 

But Akechi couldn’t find it in himself to be mad at Kurusu. Not when Kurusu was talking to him genuinely, the Joker guise shelved. He watched as Kurusu rubbed at the back of his neck and nodded. 

It was at this moment, this small moment of genuineness, that Akechi would miss this. That when Kurusu was asking him if he was alright, it wasn’t as Joker for a reason. His question wasn’t truly about the Metaverse, maze, or shadows, was it? Maybe Akechi was overthinking it, but the question felt like an offer, a way out of the chaotic maze Akechi crafted himself in the real world. But there was no possible way Kurusu nor any of the Thieves would know. Akechi carefully made sure of this. 

So Akechi slowly got up, feeling both restless and drained at the same time, as Joker led them out.

* * *

Akira, along with the rest of the Thieves were exhausted. They managed to finish the rest of the palace and secure a route to the treasure. Within a few days, the calling card will be sent off. After that, Akira’s schedule of work, school, brewing coffee, and soaking at the bathhouse will be gone. 

“It’s been a long day,” Morgana piped up from below, “You must be tired.” 

After changing into his loungewear he sat on the edge of his bed, trying to shake the impending anxiety and dread. “The deadline is almost here.” 

With a nod of his head, Morgana leapt on top of the bed, staring up at Akira with bright, blue eyes. “Yep. And soon we will send off the calling card.” With that, he started to curl up in a ball on the bed, the room becoming momentarily quiet. For a moment, all Akira could hear was the quiet sounds of Yongen-jaya at night. Everything seemed peaceful, but even then, the weight that buried itself at the pit of Akira’s stomach wouldn’t alleviate. 

Because no matter how much he tried, maybe he couldn’t save Akechi. A bud of hope bloomed whenever he saw Akechi come not only once to 777, but again. Maybe this was Akechi’s strange way of connecting with him? But even then, Akira didn’t learn more about Akechi during these visits. 

“I don’t know what Akechi is planning,” Morgana mumbled from his bundle on the bed. “Like why does he keep coming to 777? Maybe we should go to 777 again tomorrow. See if he comes again,” a pause and an intake of breath, “And..,” he trailed off. 

Akira turned towards Morgana, waiting for him to go on. 

Morgana turned away from him, burying his face into the blanket. “He seems to be acting weird lately. I think that we should tell the others.” 

How would the others react? They would probably be worried. Everyone had agreed that whatever Akechi may be planning could be dangerous. As the leader of the Thieves, Akira should probably confide in the others, and explain Akechi’s recent strange behavior. But for some reason, it felt personal? Just like Akechi’s visits to LeBlanc, Akira felt like he was getting closer to the detective. 

But maybe that was just Akira’s wishful thinking, believing he could save Goro Akechi. 

Akira rolled over, covering himself with the blanket and avoiding eye contact with Morgana. “I think we should wait.” 

The quiet in LeBlanc no longer felt peaceful. The atmosphere was thick and tense, and all Akira could do was hope for a miracle. 

* * *

It was official, Akechi felt like a stalker. He was boarding the subway to Shibuya, feeling scummy. He had gotten close to no sleep last night, as he  _ actually _ looked forward to arriving at the convenience store to stare at Kurusu like a creep. 

To add to his sour mood, as he got ready to leave his apartment to make his daily trip to the convenience store, Shido had called. 

“How is the progress?” 

Not even a greeting, just straight to business. 

Perfectly rehearsed, Akechi’s voice came out smooth and steady. “Everything is going according to plan, Shido-san. None of them expect anything. Child’s play.” 

“Don’t get cocky,” the gruff voice came through the speaker and Akechi feared that he may have overstepped. That Shido somehow knew the truth, that in the recent days Akechi felt like he was being blatantly suspicious. That each day he went 777 to talk to Kurusu, he felt like he was carrying a sign that stated:  _ I, Goro Akechi, am very suspicious and should not be trusted in the slightest. _ That lately he was slipping up because Akechi was selfish. He listened to the selfish desires to talk to Kurusu and disobey Shido the whole time. To let himself get a little bit too close to the thief. 

“I’m content with your progress.” It was hardly a compliment, but it felt like his worries were washed away for a moment. 

Akechi released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “I’m glad to hear that sir.” 

“Don’t slip up,” he warned and the line went dead. 

The whole ride to 777 was spent with Akechi cursing Shido, the Thieves, Kurusu, and himself. He was in an awful mood. 

In addition to this, he was also ticked that Kurusu decided to do so much of the palace yesterday. Was it necessary? Yes, as they had a few days left until the deadline. Did this mean Akechi was happy about it? Absolutely not. Without a doubt, Akechi had gotten too used to the Monabus and insta-killing Shadows in Mementos. Circling in the maze over and over again, and being surrounded by shadows had left Akechi sore and miserable. 

He told himself that today would be his last visit. Ensure that Kurusu wasn’t suspecting anything. 

Maybe wrap up everything between them. Make sure that when Akechi pulled the trigger, he wouldn’t have any regrets. 

Maybe get to properly see Kurusu one more time. 

As he got off the train and headed towards 777, he decided that this habit wasn’t for an investigation or research. It was for his selfish desire. That he liked seeing Kurusu. That he stayed up all night wondering about his feelings and searching Google as to why he had a rapid pulse lately. That he wasn’t content when Google diagnosed him as either being in love or having a heart attack. He just had to last a few more days and hope that his strange feelings wouldn’t get in the way of his plans. 

When he finally arrived at the 777, he felt like he was in a worse mood than before. Even seeing Kurusu wave him over didn’t make his day good (although he begrudgingly admitted it made it a bit better).

The convenience store was completely empty save for Akechi, Kurusu, and the other 777 worker. Everything was basked in the late day sunlight, as time threatened to slip into evening. It felt nice like this. As Akechi grabbed a cheap, microwave dinner and headed over to the counter, it felt familiar. He had a love-hate relationship with Kurusu. While he enjoyed how at ease Kurusu made him, he hated how superior Kurusu seemed to be at everything. How the boy he is supposed to murder in a few days, greets him not with malice, but with joy (it makes this whole killing him thing harder). 

He had to stop himself from rolling his eyes as Akira leaned against the counter and arched an eyebrow. 

“Come here often?” 

“More often than I would like to admit,” he mumbled as he slid the dinner across the counter. He paused for a moment, sending a quick glance at Kurusu’s coworker. She seemed distracted, as she scrolled through her phone, not giving any attention to the duo. Regardless, Akechi lowered his voice. “Can we talk soon?” 

Over Kurusu’s shoulder he could see Morgana in his signature spot, banging his small paws against the glass. Morgana looked as on edge as his cat features could allow him. Akechi pointedly ignored him. He focused on Kurusu again, trying to gauge his reaction. 

Kurusu kept his face blank as he nodded. “Sure, the rush passed, so I should be out soon.” 

With that, Kurusu’s coworker looked up, focusing him with a look of sympathy. “I’m so sorry Kurusu-kun,” she started, gesturing towards her phone, “your swap sent me a message, they may be running late. Is it alright if you stay a bit longer?” 

Kurusu nodded and turned back to Akechi. “It shouldn’t be too long.” 

So Akechi was left to loiter in 777. It was a bit embarrassing that he was reaching this low in his life: waiting in an empty convenience store for his rival-slash-teammate-slash-possible crush to finish work. The detective prince surely has fallen from glory.

Akechi watched as Kurusu welcomed the few customers that came in, handing over their change and bag with practiced expertise. The shift was bland, to say the least. Frankly, Akechi couldn’t see the appeal. 

Kurusu earned money in Mementos, correct? Certainly, that had to be enough to cover the funds for the Thieves. Akechi couldn’t fathom why Kurusu would choose an afternoon in 777 over cruising in the Monabus and making easy yen (although Akechi wasn’t sure how legal this method was. Especially when Kurusu would confuse the enemy and watch as the helpless shadow threw heaps upon heaps of money at him. Surely, this had to be some type of extortion.)

“What exactly do you spend your money on?” Akechi questioned as there was a lull in customers. At this point, it was well into evening, and surely, the swap should be here soon. It was starting to get dark outside, and save for a customer or two, the past hour had been empty. It had gotten to the point where Kurusu’s coworker was frantically sending messages to the swap, sending apologies towards Kurusu. 

“I’m so sorry, he should be here soon.”

“He said just twenty more minutes at most.”

“Oh, Kurusu-kun, I’m really sorry about this.” 

With each apology, Kurusu accepted with patience that Akechi could only dream of having. 

“It’s fine,” Kurusu waved her off. “I’ll just stock until then.” 

His coworker rapidly nodded, mentioning something about how Kurusu was a lifesaver. For a few minutes, Akira disappeared in the back, until he reemerged with a tower of boxes in his arms. Akechi fixed him with a cautious and wary gaze. 

For a moment, Akechi thought that Kurusu forgot about his offhand question until he suddenly replied, “I told you, the team,” as he balanced the cases of 777 fruity sodas in his arms. 

“I was just wondering. I mean the team can’t possibly be this expensive.” 

“He uses it on the bathhouse and maid cafes,” came Morgana’s muffled voice. Morgana had moved from his spot in the window to the double automatic screen doors. He was fixing Kurusu with a blatantly disapproving look, and Akechi could only guess it was something about Kurusu and sleep. 

Suddenly, everything seemed to happen in quick succession. 

First was Kurusu’s coworker. Excitement filled her voice as she pointed towards Morgana, “Is that a cat?!” 

Morgana, loudly and very overdramatically, mewled that he was not a cat and that he was in fact a human. 

Kurusu in his rush to wave Morgana away, had the heavy boxes slip out of his grasp. And this is where things seemed to happen in slow motion. 

The boxes brandishing bright colors and an obnoxious, stylized version of 777’s logo were sent into the air. The sound of carbonated soda fizzing could be heard. Meanwhile, Kurusu’s usual blank face was cracked with surprise. 

The previously quiet 777 was met with a loud crash as cans were sent every way. And maybe the part-time barista, part-time convenience worker, and part-time thief wasn’t lucky. Most of the soda mess did not make itself on the floor. Most of 777’s “Delicious Berry Blast!” covered Kurusu. His watermelon uniform stuck to his skin and his ebony curls were damp. 

Despite this disaster, Morgana still found it in himself to be snide and chiding. “Maybe if you leveled up your proficiency, Akira!” 

As soon as this scene had occurred, Kurusu’s swap finally appeared in the doorway, staring at the mess in front of him.

“Uhh,” he paused, surveying the berry scented store, the drenched worker, and the meowing cat, “I’m here to replace you, Kurusu-kun. You’re good to go home.” 

Akechi offered Kurusu his hand, suddenly very thankful that he wore gloves as he could feel the sticky, sugary mess covering Kurusu. He hauled Kurusu up, suddenly very aware of their proximity. As his pulse sped up, he silently hoped that it was the latter Google result, that maybe he was having a heart attack right here and there, and maybe he wouldn’t have to worry about deadlines, Shido, or the fact that Akechi had asked to have a chat with Kurusu later, and knowing Kurusu, he would stick with it, regardless if he was soaked head to toe in sticky, knock-off-brand soda. 

As if Kurusu could read his mind, he shyly smiled at Akechi (has he ever seen that sort of look on Kurusu?) and asked, “Are we still good to talk?” 

“I suppose,” he replied. “But please, clean up this first,” he said, gesturing to all of Kurusu. 

With a nod of his head, he disappeared into the back, followed by his concerned coworker, hugging a multitude of paper towel rolls to her chest. 

He was left with Kurusu’s swap, who completely recovered from the incident and took his spot behind the counter, and Morgana who was noticeably more tense and not as at ease. Akechi genuinely tried ignoring him, but Kurusu was taking a long time, which Akechi figured was reasonable. He just didn’t want to be stuck next to Morgana any longer. 

_ Just get the talk with Kurusu over with, and you’re good to go. The deadline is almost here, you’ll only have to see him once more after this,  _ he told himself.  _ No more having to worry about the Thieves.  _

His comforting mantra he was telling himself was rudely interrupted.

“I don’t know what you’re planning,” Morgana started, his fur standing up ever so slightly as he narrowed his eyes, “But your whole entice Joker plan won’t work!” 

Akechi realized right there, in the middle of 777 in the evening, surrounded by the strong smell of sugar and fake fruit, that Morgana was closer to the truth of his visits than Akechi had been the past few days. The detective prince certainly had hit a whole new low lately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading!  
> I have the next few chapters generally planned out, and it looks like it's coming to a close soon!  
> I appreciate all the feedback I have received and I feel like I have been able to improve.   
> Not only that, but I also have some other ideas for Persona fics so I'm really excited!  
> Thank you to everyone for checking this fic out!


	4. Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akechi and Akira finally talk, and some feelings are laid bare. 
> 
> Also Morgana continues to disapprove of Akira's decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter, unfortunately, took a while. It is the longest chapter (at a whopping 5,400 words) and as a result, it took a while to write and edit. 
> 
> This chapter has a darker feel than the previous ones, with some instances of angst, and brief, non-descriptive references to suicide (Akechi's mom). 
> 
> From this point on, this story will be more plot driven and there will be two more chapters after this. 
> 
> Sorry for the wait, and I hope you enjoyed it!! Also, as always, I appreciated each of the comments, bookmarks, and kudos! You guys are the best!!

The night air was cold and dry, and each gust of wind seeped through his clothes, straight to his bones. And maybe that wasn’t the worst part. Maybe it was the tense, awkward silence that dared to be broken, but no one would volunteer. Or maybe it was the conflicting feelings that were stirring inside him, making this already confusing situation so much worse. Or perhaps it was the cat glaring at him from Kurusu’s bag, sending vaguely threatening gestures every now and then (all of which Akechi didn’t think was possible for a cat to do). Regardless, this walk was not peaceful so far. 

The convenience store worker and the detective had just exited the 777, making their way slowly to the train station. 

Because Akechi had asked to talk. He let his wretched feelings take the metaphorical wheel and veer right into oncoming traffic, colliding with a truckload of unnecessary pining. It’s all just very tiring. 

And because Kurusu feels like he needs to be the hero and the generally good person all the time, he doesn’t head home. He quietly walks with Akechi to who-knows-where probably waiting for him to explain why he has been frequenting a convenience store of all places these past few days. 

But how is he even supposed to start? 

They’re five, long minutes away from 777 when Morgana decides to pipe up. He first focuses Akechi with a criticizing glare before turning towards Kurusu, propping himself halfway out of the bag. He rests his paws against Kurusu’s shoulder, and in a poor attempt of whispering, questions Akechi’s presence. 

“So, why is Akechi tailing us again?” 

Kurusu lets out a small sigh and reaches behind his shoulder to scratch Morgana’s head. Akechi briefly wonders how he can put up with and care for Morgana. Despite the entourage of rude remarks that came frighteningly quick to Akechi’s tongue, he kept quiet. Kurusu was doing a favor for him. He was going out of his way so Akechi could spout some nonsense for an hour and then go home. 

And Kurusu is too kind, too forgiving, and too open-minded. “He’s not tailing us. I’m hanging out with him.” 

A huff from Morgana and maybe even a roll of his eyes. “You guys haven’t said a word yet.” Morgana shakes his head and Akechi can see Kurusu wince as Morgana digs his claws into his shoulder. “It doesn’t seem like you’re hanging out.”

“We’re just enjoying each other's company,” was the only response. 

Morgana’s response was to dig his claws deeper, his fur starting to stand up. “Maybe I’m wrong Akira,” the feline huffed, narrowing his eyes at Akechi, “but this doesn’t seem very enjoyable so far.” 

Akechi hated that he agreed with the talking cat. So far this trip has been anything except enjoyable. The cold weather, Kurusu’s strong smell of berry soda, and Morgana’s unpleasant demeanor were making Akechi regret meeting up with Kurusu. Maybe while he was cleaning himself up in the back of the 777, Akechi should have booked it. Would it have made things awkward later? Yes, but it wouldn’t have made him deal with said awkwardness right now. 

And Akechi was the one who brought up the notion of talking and yet, he hasn’t said a word. He was exhausted. It had gotten to the point where he couldn’t even muster the detective prince act and just kept his face a blank slate. 

At least in a few hours, he could return to his lonely apartment and lay down in his bed. He would stare at the ceiling for a few hours and convince himself that the day of the heist, the plan would go smoothly. That he would look Kurusu dead in the eyes, and pull the trigger. That he would explain the scene in gruesome detail to Shido and would feel pride. And when Shido would give him that sliver of a complement, any doubts about shooting the peculiar boy would be gone. 

But maybe that was his wishful, twisted thinking. 

Because when he chanced a look at Kurusu, he couldn’t imagine him with a wound in his head. Studying Kurusu’s side profile, made Akechi have doubts about the plan. Walking beside him, barely a foot apart, made Akechi want to get a bit closer, maybe right next to Kurusu’s clawed and abused shoulder. 

Everything was problematic. 

Akechi was so used to burying his feelings that it came second nature to him. 

He did it when he was young. When he dared to ask his mother why he didn’t have a father. When he watched his mother’s face contort, full of pain and anguish. She enveloped him in a hug and cried, and he hated seeing her cry, so he didn’t ask her again.

He did it when she died. Before others came, whether it be the police officers or the gossiping neighbors, he allowed himself to cry. He buried his face in his knees and wept right beside her. After allowing himself to cry, he schooled his expression and tried to remain calm in front of the adults. They told him he was strong and handling it so well. He didn’t feel strong, but the complements made it feel worth it. 

He did it when he caused his first mental shutdown. He was in Mementos, a young teenager with too much power and negativity. His need for vengeance made him pull the trigger as Loki’s distant voice encouraged him to. After he watched the shadow collapse on the floor, he didn’t think much of it. He didn’t know. It was the next day when he found out the truth; that the person was found unresponsive in their home, eyes rolled back and skin pale as paper. He remembered feeling a heavy pit at the bottom of his stomach; worry gnawing inside him. Because what if someone found out it was him? But that was impossible. Akechi was familiar with how forensic investigations went, they looked for fingerprints, signs of trauma, and impressions. Akechi couldn’t be linked to the crime. So he went about his day as if he didn’t kill someone. It was surprisingly easy burying these thoughts, keeping a kind smile in place, and wearing his mask. He didn’t like to acknowledge that it slipped, when he collapsed inside his restroom, staring at his hands as if expecting blood to be covering them. And he washed his hands over and over again in his sink until it went raw and pink, and despite not a single stain being on his hands, they felt dirty. (The next day, he was grateful that he usually wore gloves.)

He did it each time he reported to Shido when his hands itched to clutch around Shido’s throat and watch the remaining life ebb away. But he kept his emotions reigned in, and kept his hands balled into fists, below the edge of Shido’s grand desk, where he couldn’t see them. And instead of the glower he wanted to wear, he remained blank, every now and then allowing a sick smile to slip through. 

He did it so often, so why was it so hard now? He’s buried his emotions countless times before, but as he walks next to the nearly uninteresting high school boy, he found it difficult. A dangerous part of him wants to reach over and grasp his hand, just because he’s curious. A familiar part of him wants to see Kurusu’s fall from grace, wants to see himself succeed. And as he walks to the station with Kurusu and his cat, he feels this dangerous part grow.

“It’s getting late, do you want to head to LeBlanc?” He could see Morgana’s eyes widen slightly as he fixed Kurusu with a disbelieving look. He could see Morgana start to say something before Kurusu continued, “It’s getting late. I, personally, thinking warming up with some coffee would be nice.” 

Kurusu knew he won him over. Akechi could never say no to LeBlanc coffee, so with a dejected sigh, he nodded and followed him. On the plus side, at least he will be awake and alert during this talk. Akechi frankly had no idea how it would go, but he knew that the talk would probably be a long one. As they boarded the subway, he briefly wondered how much this talk may change things between them. 

* * *

It was while he swaying on the subway, inches away from Kurusu, that he realized this was an insanely stupid, terrible idea. 

It was late at night and he was following him to LeBlanc. That on its own may not be bad, but the fact that LeBlanc doubled as Kurusu’s residency made everything seem terribly wrong. 

Another insanely stupid, terrible idea he had was to put his phone on mute. He convinced himself it was to silence the Thieves and their incredibly mind-numbing conversations. In reality, it was a petty sort of disobedience to Shido. He got a bit of satisfaction, imagining Shido’s rage if he found out that he was spending time with the Phantom Thief leader, late at night, in his home. 

But maybe these past few days, dumb ideas have been Akechi’s forte. He inwardly cringes, recalling the hours he has wasted in a convenience store of all places. And it’s felt like a waste. He didn’t learn much about Kurusu other than he is accident-prone and his way of interacting with customers is incredibly mediocre. 

And once the train slowed to a stop, he came to terms that these visits may have been close to a waste, but they weren’t bad. That going to LeBlanc right now may be a waste, and it may be tortuous, but maybe it was something he should do.

And as Kurusu held open the door to LeBlanc, Akechi knew there was no going back. He couldn’t leave now, especially when Kurusu seemed so at ease and unbothered. 

Well unbothered momentarily, until he seemed to take notice of Sojiro Sakura standing behind the counter. 

Now, every time that Akechi has visited LeBlanc, Sojiro Sakura never looked happy, per se, but he never looked genuinely peeved. When it came to Kurusu, he always seemed to be a bit hard on him, but not in a cruel sense. Right now, Sojiro Sakura looked irked and annoyed, as he leveled Kurusu with a challenging glare. 

“Oh, we forgot to tell the Boss we were staying late, didn’t we,” Morgana piped up from the bag. 

And upon another look at the man, aside from annoyance and a bit of anger, was there something else? 

Confusion flooded upon Sakura-san’s features as he took a sniff of the air. “And why do you stink,” a pause, “like strawberries?” 

“It’s actually Berry Blast,” Kurusu replied, tugging at his fringe when he was met with an unamused look from Sakura-san. “I was staying late at work.” 

Akechi watched as Sakura-san looked from Kurusu to Akechi and back to Kurusu, letting out a drawn out “Uh-huuuhhh.” 

“For real, we were,” Morgana protested from the bag. “Akira, does he have the wrong idea?!” 

It probably looked a bit bad, Kurusu staying out late, unannounced, followed by the LeBlanc frequent. 

“Well, I guess you’re a teenager and you’re at that age,” Sakura-san sighed, and he was about to be meant with protests from the two teenagers and a cat when he added, “Just be sure to close up, or at least tell me when you’re running late!” Despite his tone being commanding, it lacked any edge. After a drawn-out moment, which was entirely too quiet and awkward, Sakura-san let out a defeated sigh. “Finish closing and cleaning everything up. And don’t keep him here too late.” 

“Thank you,” Kurusu replied, digging his hands into his pockets and nodding. 

“No problem, Boss!” Morgana added. 

Regularly, Akechi would beam at Sakura-san and thank him graciously. Right now, the most he could muster was a tiny half-smile and a small “thanks”. He was a bit disappointed with himself with how much he let his emotions drain him (although now that he thought about it, it could also be the lack of sleep). 

LeBlanc was eerily quiet except for the sounds of cups clinking as Kurusu methodically cleaned each one of them and the occasional swish of Morgana’s tail. It seemed like Morgana was going to volunteer to break the silence until surprisingly Kurusu went first. He put down the cups and locked eyes with Morgana, grey ones meeting blue ones. 

“Hey, do you mind staying with Futaba tonight?” 

The swishing of Morgana’s tail grew faster and harsher against the cafe stool. “Why?” Morgana asked, the usual snark increased tenfold. 

“Just for tonight,” Kurusu said, looking strangely serious. 

And Akechi felt so out of place right now. While Akechi stood a distance away from Morgana and Kurusu, neither of them looking at him, it felt like all the attention was directed towards him. And usually, he craved attention, loved when all eyes were on him. But right now, this situation reminded him of the time after Med-Jed, when the general public hated him. When he received so much attention, but he felt so unwanted. And that he would do anything to get rid of this attention. Right now, he wanted to get rid of this attention, that coming here was a stupid mistake. 

And what would stop Kurusu from telling the Thieves everything tomorrow? Although Akechi has been careful to leave no tracks or suspicions, it didn’t mean that Kurusu nor any of the other Thieves trusted him.

Especially Morgana. Morgana, at the moment, knew too much. 

Akechi inwardly cringed, remembering Morgana’s words to him at 777. 

_The entice Joker plan_. 

Now both Morgana and Sakura-san thought something was up with the two of them. It wouldn’t be too long until the rest of the Thieves caught wind.

_There’s nothing between you two_ , his mind mentioned, which was the truth. Akechi may have some wretched, twisted feelings towards Kurusu, but that doesn’t mean that anything has changed between the two of them. 

“Something’s going on with you two,” Morgana hissed, batting the counter with his tail. 

This entirely sucks. 

“I can ensure you, nothing is going on,” Akechi said, trying to add a small smile to ease Morgana’s suspicions. It had the opposite effect, Morgana narrowed his blue eyes at Akechi and then frantically looked over at Kurusu. 

“I just don’t get why I can’t be here then,” Morgana asked. 

Kurusu let out a sigh and motioned for Morgana to follow him upstairs. He turned briefly towards Akechi as he was halfway up, “I’ll be back, just give me a second.” 

And so Akechi was left downstairs in LeBlanc, trying to not let the doubts and regrets flood him. Because even if Morgana left now, and didn’t find out what they may talk about, Morgana will know that they talked, in private to make things worse. And Akechi may not know Morgana well, but he knew how much of a loudmouth he was, a close second to Sakamoto. What if this talk with Kurusu bloomed suspicions with the Thieves? 

Akechi knew that by being here, after visiting Kurusu multiple times at the convenience store, he was making a huge gamble. But he couldn’t back out. If he backed out now, he felt like when it was time to finally say goodbye to Kurusu, there would be regrets, questions, and unfulfilled wishes. Everything will feel like it was abruptly severed. He wanted to at least tie up a few loose ends, regardless of how stupid and emotional, it may be. 

Because has he ever felt this way before? 

He’s shaken out of his thoughts as he hears footsteps descending the stairs. Morgana reaches the bottom first and gives Akechi a peeved glance. 

“Open the door and I guess I’ll go with Futaba,” he ordered. 

Kurusu rolled his eyes and opened the door as Morgana slinked out. Morgana briefly turned around outside and added, “Don’t do anything that I wouldn’t do, Akira!” With that, Morgana turned toward the alley and headed away.

It’s just the two of them. LeBlanc goes back to being nearly silent, as the sound and aroma of coffee brewing fill the cafe. 

“Would you like a cup?” Kurusu asked, without looking up. 

Akechi slid into his usual spot and placed his suitcase down in the seat next to him, and he expects it to feel familiar. It’s supposed to feel familiar, him sitting at the counter and Kurusu standing behind the counter, brewing a cup of Akechi’s favorite blend. But right now, it doesn’t feel familiar, it felt uncomfortable. 

A cup was soon carefully slid towards him and Akechi was grateful for the distraction. He wants to delay this talk, maybe let the coffee warm him up. Maybe they can forget about the discussion and just enjoy coffee together. Maybe they can have a normal time together, hidden behind masks of insincerity and caution. Something itched at the back of his head, and his detective’s intuition tells him to question it. 

“How did you get Morgana to leave?” he asked, he looked up at Kurusu, searching for his eyes behind those large frames.

Kurusu didn’t meet his eyes, and instead focused on a cup, as he poured himself some coffee. “I promised him some sushi,” he replied and then added, “Morgana’s sushi addiction is going to make me go broke.” 

Akechi knew he was lying, that he didn’t call Morgana up into the attic just to promise him some expensive sushi. That whatever Kurusu promised to Morgana was enough to convince him to leave and was something that Akechi couldn’t know about. But Akechi couldn’t call out of Kurusu’s flimsy lie because things were starting to feel a bit more familiar. 

“Well, I guess that means you’ll have to take a break from maid cafes then,” he replied, hiding his smile behind his hand. And although his smile felt fake, he enjoyed these talks with Kurusu, and maybe it was genuine in a way. 

And Akechi felt like things were getting more dangerous between them when Kurusu let out a small laugh that sounded too genuine to be safe. Akechi let a laugh slip out, and maybe his joke wasn’t even funny. Maybe it’s because they were two boys that were rivals, that were days away from everything changing, and that they knew that in a few days, their bond would be severed, and maybe being normal for just a day would be nice. 

“Was Morgana serious when he said you went to maid cafes?” Akechi asked, quirking an eyebrow at Kurusu. 

“In my defense, they’ve got delicious pancakes,” Kurusu replied, a mischievous smile on his face. And for some reason, his remark tickled the back of his head, a memory a bit out of reach. Akechi chalked it up to some sort of deja vu. 

Akechi went quiet after that and took a sip of the coffee. Things went quiet and serious between them. Despite the semi-sweet taste of the coffee, Akechi felt himself grow bitter. 

“I really hate you,” he started, letting the venom fill his voice. 

And it infuriated him how all Kurusu did was nod, as if allowing Akechi to continue. And the worst part of it was how Kurusu was barely affected by Akechi’s words. 

This fueled the swirling emotions inside him and he continued, “You always act like a hero, like you’re something special, you know that?” His grip on the cup of coffee tightened as his knuckles turned white. “It’s not fair,” he whispered, and he winced as a few of his words came out uneven. He watched as Kurusu finally looked up, and they locked eyes. “It’s unfair how nothing fazes you, while I-” 

He ran a hand down his face, trying to wipe the negativity from his features, it just left him feeling hollow. “I apologize,” _keep your voice positive,_ “I didn’t mean to say that,” _make him believe you’re a good person,_ “that’s not what I meant-” 

“It’s fine,” Kurusu says, leaning against the counter, expression indecipherable. “You’re allowed to vent Akechi, you can be yourself.” While Kurusu looked at him, it felt like Kurusu was digging into his soul, uncovering each and every lie. And despite this, despite hearing the ugliness that Akechi has to say to him and the evilness inside Akechi, Kurusu smiled. It’s a smile nearly devoid of happiness, and Akechi is so close to snapping at Kurusu, saying he doesn’t need his pity. “Sometimes when we hang out as the Phantom Thieves, I feel like I’m not with Goro Akechi. Sometimes, I’m with Crow. Sometimes, I’m with the ace detective. Sometimes, I’m with the media star. But very rarely does it feel like I’m with Goro Akechi. I want to get to know you better, and when you started coming to 777,” he paused for a breath. 

The moment of silence feels like minutes, although Akechi knew it had only been seconds. His heart is pounding and everything hurts. It felt like he’s drowning, gasping for air, trying to swim towards the top. 

“I thought that _you_ wanted _us_ to get to know each other better. That maybe it was your own way of asking,” Kurusu smiles genuinely now, a bit of mischief reflected in it, “although it was a bit stalker-ish.” 

Akechi’s grip on the cup slackened and regret, confusion, affection, and annoyance flooded him. He took a sip of the coffee to prevent himself from saying anything stupid. He was lucky that Kurusu had such a hero complex that he couldn’t even take offense from Akechi’s insults, or even suspect him. And for a moment, Akechi thought that was a close on their conversation. It may have not been a satisfying talk, but Akechi felt like he had conveyed everything that was necessary. 

“There’s something else that I’ve noticed,” Kurusu mumbled, a bit of an uncharacteristic uncertainty filled his voice, “Sometimes I’m not sure what you’re fighting for. And I don’t mean just Mementos,” his voice grew more firm and steady, “I mean in general. At 777, it seemed so hard for you to comprehend that I chose to work and wasn’t forced by the team.” 

Akechi set the coffee cup down on the counter, afraid that if he didn’t set it down, it would drop. He buried his hands into his lap to hide the shaking. 

_How did Kurusu know? Did he know? How much did he know?_

The silenced phone felt heavy in his pocket and he could imagine Shido’s fury if their plan was busted. He tried to remember where he could have possibly messed up, where the Thieves caught him. And he couldn’t stop his eyes from drifting over to his briefcase briefly, underneath documents and a fake bottom, was a handgun and a silencer. He could end it all right now, Kurusu and then himself. But what would that accomplish? And he greatly doubted he could even carry out the plan. 

When Akechi turned back to look at Kurusu, he was made aware of how close they were. Kurusu was now leaning towards him over the counter, grey eyes boring into his own. From this proximity, Akechi could see the small details of Akira, from microscopic scraps on his glasses to the small imprint on his nose where the frame rests. It all felt too intimate, but he couldn’t make himself move. 

“I think that you need to start living for yourself.” 

Any remarks that Akechi had, dissipated. He wanted to argue against this, tell Kurusu that he is living for himself, but suddenly his mouth went dry and his mind went blank. Because Kurusu was right, wasn’t he? Even now, Akechi wakes up each day just to live out his plan of revenge against Shido. That, honestly, after he exacts his revenge against Shido, he had no idea what he was going to do.

Akechi finally found some words and they clumsily fell out, “I-I see.” 

And neither of them said anything. It wasn’t a peaceful silence by any means. Akechi felt entirely too drained. He placed his hands on the counter, ready to hoist himself up and leave. Until suddenly he felt a hand wrap around his own. Akechi froze, fixing Kurusu with a cold glare. 

“What are you doing Kurusu?” 

Kurusu’s firm didn’t loosen. “Akechi, I really liked seeing you. Whether it be at LeBlanc or even at 777. I want to get to know _you._ So please let me.” 

Akechi had first visited 777 because he was intrigued. He saw Kurusu acting strangely, being polite to each customer regardless of what happened. How Kurusu acted in customer service made Akechi want to learn what other masks Kurusu had. And maybe it was worth it, because now he was seeing a completely foreign expression on Kurusu. Kurusu was suave, relaxed, and confident. But right now, as he angled his face away, he actually looked embarrassed. Akechi couldn’t help but marvel at the mess they both landed themselves in. 

But they only had a few days to be regular teenagers, so maybe it was alright to mess up. 

So instead of leaving, right then, he stayed. 

“Sometimes I wonder if you’re entirely in your right mind,” Akechi sighed, although he belatedly noticed his hypocrisy.

Kurusu didn’t take offense, he just held onto Akechi’s hand like it was a lifeline. If Kurusu was this trusting, it was a miracle he made it this far, Akechi reflected. 

“Although I guess I’m not entirely without blame,” Akechi admitted. Akechi knew that he was toeing a line, that if he crossed it, there was no going back. “When I said that I hated you, it’s not entirely true.” 

“The great Goro Akechi doesn’t hate me, I’m honored,” Kurusu said, letting a bit of his carefree smile slip back into place. A few beats passed, a few too intimate beats. While the two of them were in LeBlanc, joining hands, the aroma of coffee and cheap soda filling the room, Akechi decided to jump over the line. 

“I don’t entirely hate you,” he said, his voice coming out as nearly a whisper, “I’m envious of everything you were given. Even when so much was taken away, you were fine. These past few days,” he willed for his voice to remain steady and maybe this was the most genuine he’s even been, “I’ve wanted to get to know you more too. And I liked being there with you. And although I may hate that you have so much, I care about you too much to watch you lose it all.” When did things change between them? When did Akechi let himself care about Akira Kurusu? 

Kurusu wore a mischievous smile as he leaned forward. “Maybe you’re right that I’m not in my right mind,” _close, too close_ , “so I’m going to do something stupid, Goro,” _getting closer,_ “is that fine?” 

Akechi gave a minute nod before he noticed what was happening. Kurusu wasn’t even an inch away. It wasn’t long, but it was kind and careful. Kurusu’s lips were soft and gentle upon his own. Kurusu’s hand grasped his own, holding on tightly. Akechi felt like he was enjoying this too much. For a moment this kiss seemed so nice, and Akechi’s worries went away for just a second. 

And just like that, it was over, and they were both past that metaphorical line, weren’t they? Akechi knew that this would make everything more complicated. Because just like that, their relationship has changed. 

“Is this why you sent Morgana away?” Akechi asked, tilting his head to the side, and hiding his smile behind a gloved hand.

“Kinda,” Kurusu laughed, “But honestly, I wasn’t planning that it would succeed. I was just hoping for the best.” 

“Well I suppose, it’s a good thing Lady Luck is on your side, Kurusu-kun.” 

“Call me Akira.” 

Scratch that, Akechi wasn’t toeing nor jumping over the line. He was full-on disregarding the line and perhaps, even erasing it. 

And because Akechi is stupid, he nodded and acquiesced. “I suppose I can do that… Akira.” 

The smile that Kuru-Akira gave him made it seem worth it. It made actively putting himself in danger and possibly on Shido’s blacklist, alright. 

Akira leaned against the counter, fixing Akechi with a suave smile, that Akechi had a love-hate relationship with. “I meant what I said earlier, I really hope that once we’re done the heist, we can still get to know each other more.” 

“I suppose,” the smile came a bit difficult and Akechi wasn’t sure if his words were a lie or not. 

“It’s getting late, I should probably get going,” Akechi mentioned, his fatigue from the past few days finally catching up when he let out a yawn. He didn’t notice how long he had been sitting there, until he stood up, his knees momentarily in pain. 

He stopped for a moment when he saw Akira’s eyes sparkle, a plan hatching right then and there. “Give me one moment, I’ve got a gift for you. Close your eyes.”

“What? Why-”

“Just do it, trust me.” 

Well, how much worse was it going to get? Akechi had held hands and kissed the boy that his wretched father ordered him to kill. In terms of bad decisions, this couldn’t possibly be Akechi’s worst one. 

So he closed his eyes like the idiot he was, just to humor Akira. He grew a bit confused when he heard Akira’s footsteps up the stairs and for a moment, some clamoring from above. After a few minutes, he heard Akira coming back. 

“Okay, open your hand, and I’m going to place your gift in it.” 

_This is a bad idea_. 

Akechi opened his hand like a fool. 

The object was light and felt papery. It felt a bit crumpled and creased around the edges. He was starting to deduct what it may be when Akira spoke up.

“You can look at it now.” 

In his hand laid the 777 Plum KitKat Bar coupon, displaying the buy one, get one free deal in bright, bold letters. 

“I take it back, maybe I do hate you.” 

“The deal ends in a week, so that means that you’ve got to come back after Sae’s palace.” 

“I don’t think I will,” Akechi said, very tempted to just chuck Akira’s “gift” back at him. 

“Okay, okay, fine,” Akira said, grabbing Akechi’s hands that were oh-so-close to dropping it in LeBlanc’s trash. “It’s a placeholder.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Until I get you a better gift.” 

If Akira considered his 777 trash a gift, Akechi didn’t have high hopes for a “better gift”. 

“I see,” Akechi said, rolling his eyes, and sliding the coupon into his briefcase. “I’ve got to get going now.” 

“I’ll see you at the palace,” Akira said, giving Akechi such a fond and affectionate smile, it threw him off for a moment. 

“I’ll be seeing you.” 

Akechi left the cafe, crumbled-up coupon in one hand, and his case in the other. When he got back on the subway, he remembered his muted phone in his pocket. 

As expected, there were some missed notifications from the Phantom Thieves group chat. It wasn’t anything important, just the Thieves spouting the same information about the heist and their worries. What really caught his eye was the missed call from Shido and a single text message. 

_You better not let me down._

For once, his future didn’t feel so clear. His whole life, Akechi knew substantial parts of his future. Day in and day out, he would head to school and then Mementos, and carry out a mental shutdown. And once he got home, he would conspire against Shido. He had a clear purpose and goal. But because of Akira, everything felt blurred. 

_“I think that you need to start living for yourself.”_

Kurusu’s words repeated themselves over and over again in Akechi’s head, even once he was in his lonely apartment, curled on his bed, willing for the nausea and sick feelings to go away.

He grasped onto his phone, Akira’s contact pulled up, a million messages typed up and never sent, all saying the same things (I’m sorry). 

Because Akechi crossed a line, and made them both care for each other. And he knew what he would have to do in a few days. That in a few days, Akechi will see Akira for the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter was alright! It has a different feel than the other ones and is tying the story to an end.  
> I'll see you guys next chapter :)


	5. The Heist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of the heist has finally arrived, and Akira can't help but worry and dread for what is to come.  
> With Akechi ghosting him and the Thieves suspicious, Akira finds himself in a dilemma.  
> Will things take a turn for the worse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay on this one. Currently working on moving out and as a result, haven't had as much time for writing. That being said, this chapter is fairly long. The next chapter "should" be the last one and will tie everything together. If you came here for the convenience store shenanigans, don't worry! Akira is going to be returning to his favorite store next chapter.  
> Despite that, this chapter does have a bit of angst and has a similar feel to the previous one, as it's not as humorous and is more story focused. I'm hoping to make the next one a bit more light hearted and to tie everything together. The next chapter may be delayed a bit because of my move in.  
> Finally, I want to thank you all for giving this fic a chance and for the kudos and comments. This is my first fic and I was really nervous about it, but with your help, I feel like I learned a lot!  
> Sorry for the long Author's note and I hope you enjoyed!

The night before the heist, Akira got little sleep (don’t tell Morgana). He had followed Morgana’s orders of heading to bed early the day before a heist. Theoretically, he should have gotten more than enough sleep. 

But he didn’t. 

Because everything burned. 

He kept remembering the two of them, just him and Akechi, in the cafe, less than a foot apart. His hand burned where he held onto Akechi for dear life, hoping that Akechi wouldn’t flee. And his lips burned where he decided to take a risk. 

Akira truly enjoyed that night, but now that time had passed between that scene and now, it hurt. While it was happening, it felt so right. It felt like for a moment, Akira Kurusu was a normal teenager who just happened to catch the attention of the famous ace detective. While he held onto Akechi’s hand, not even an inch away, it felt so normal. 

But now it hurt. Because, looking back, he couldn’t see them as two teenagers making dumb, meaningless mistakes. No, they were rivals and possibly enemies. Even now, he wasn’t sure what Akechi was aiming at. Because Akechi had multiple sides. Could Akechi be deceiving him, just like the other times in LeBlanc where Akechi would ask Akira his opinions on the mental breakdowns and the Thieves, noting that Akira was just so intriguing each time? Did Akechi just want to talk so he can ensure that Akira wholeheartedly trusted Akechi? 

The question that kept bugging him was how genuine was Akechi that night? 

It felt like Akechi had taken off his mask that night, gave Akira one last chance to save him. And as Akira stared up at the attic’s dusty ceiling, support beams begging to be cleaned, he wonders if he blew it. 

Instead of sleeping, he replayed the scene over and over in his head, trying to identify where he may have gone wrong. 

Because tomorrow would be the end, wouldn’t it?

Since that quiet, fateful night in LeBlanc, Akechi had been avoiding him. The few messages he _did_ send in the chat were clipped and vague. Whenever Akira tried to ask him about the night, if he was alright, if Akechi was ready for the palace, Akira would be left on read for hours and then would eventually receive a response of “Sorry, Kurusu-kun. I am currently dealing with a lot of work right now. I’ll try to give you an answer later.” Word for word, each and every time. And when it wasn’t Akira’s direct messages to Akechi, but rather the Phantom Thieves’ group chat, Akechi would make very brief appearances. When any of the Thieves discussed the upcoming heist, Akechi would mention preparations, such as SP and HP items, and would dip.

It was frustrating and nerve wracking to say the least. 

To add to Akira’s already bitter and restless mood, was the fact that Morgana was still not happy with him. 

When he motioned Morgana up the stairs, the night that Akechi came over, he had promised that he would tell Morgana _everything_ that happened. Akira appreciated Morgana’s worry for him, and he could see how it was justified, so he wasn’t too upset at the time of the deal. When Akira promised Morgana that he would tell him everything, he wasn’t expecting the night to take such a twist. 

So, truth be told, he gave Morgana a very edited version of the story. He told Morgana that Akechi had been visiting 777 to know more about Akira. He completely glossed over the whole “I hate you” thing from Akechi and the whole kissing Akechi thing. Without a doubt, he had skipped a large part of the night in his retelling to Morgana, and for a moment, he thought Morgana believed it. After he told the story, Morgana nodded and quipped that Akechi was indeed a suspicious individual. Akira thought that was the end of it, until Morgana started giving Akira the silent treatment. 

Even now, Morgana laid at the foot of the bed, flicking his tail while he dozed off. 

Akira felt guilty. Morgana was his closest companion and he knew that he constructed a wall between them right now. Akira’s timing couldn’t be any worse. Tomorrow was the day of the great heist and possibly the day when Akechi would decide to betray them all. Tomorrow would be the day when the strength of the team would be tested. More worryingly, tomorrow would be the day when the flimsy bond between Akira and Akechi would be tested. 

Akira tried to ignore the worry that was gnawing at him. It was currently 3 AM and although he felt dead tired, he couldn’t urge himself to sleep. He knew that this was going to have its toll on him tomorrow. After a full week of work, school, and the Metaverse, his muscles were screaming for the sweet release of death. A nice, deep sleep before the heist is what his body and mind needed. Instead, he would be hoping that his half-asleep brain would be capable of making quick and rational decisions. 

The hours ticked by slowly. When 5 AM finally arrived, Akira found some respite in sleep. Of course, this was very short lived. A few hours later, his alarm clock in the form of a cat woke him up. 

“Akira, wake up! We’ve got a big day today!” 

For a brief moment, skipping school seemed like such an appealing idea. Being able to somewhat rest, without worrying about school and being a semi-decent student, would be great. One look from Morgana, sharp blue eyes narrowing suspiciously, told him that idea would not fly. 

So with a nod, Akira mustered as much energy as he could into getting up and dressed. Morgana, the whole time, kept his eyes trained on Akira, through each of his movements. Akira could tell something was bothering him. Maybe it was the way that Morgana swatted the floor with his tail or maybe it was the way that Morgan would huff, start a sentence, stop in the middle of it, and just glare. 

If Akira got more sleep, he would kindly ask what was bothering his friend. But he didn’t get enough sleep, he was tired of being ghosted by his crush-slash-rival-slash-teammate, and he wasn’t looking forward to slugging through school, having chalk thrown at him because his proficiency was poor, and answering questions wrong with both the disapproval of Morgana and fellow students. So to say the least, his mood was sour. 

“If you have something to say, just say it,” he muttered, as he tried to make his hair somewhat decent for the day. As he fixed his hair, his hands going through familiar movements, he tried to hide the minute shaking. Because, honestly, Akira was scared. He didn’t want his teammates to know that, he wanted them to see him as Joker, confident in the face of danger. He didn’t want his teammates to see that he was afraid, afraid that Akechi was going to carry out his plan and when he sees Akechi, they won’t be teammates, but rather, enemies. 

Morgana seemed to notice something was bothering Akira, as he let out a small sigh, the thumping of his tail subsiding, and his eyes softening. “Akira, I’m just worried about you. You seemed to be holding something from us. We’re a team, you don’t have to carry this alone.” 

For a moment, Akira wanted to spill everything to Morgana. He wanted to tell Morgana how he wasn’t sure how Goro Akechi _truly_ felt. He wanted to tell him that he wanted to save the detective from the destructive path he was following. 

“If it’s about Akechi,” Morgana paused, his eyes serious, “There’s nothing we can do now.”

Morgana’s words drove a knife into Akira’s heart, twisting and digging. Deep down, Akira knew that Morgana was right, that right now, it was too late to do anything. Whatever plan Akechi had was going to be enacted today and the only thing Akira _could_ do was protect himself and his team. Still, his hands shook slightly as he lowered his bag to the ground so Morgana could jump in. The smile that Akira put on his face felt fake, and he wasn’t sure how Akechi was able to do this all the time. 

“I know.” 

* * *

School dragged on like it usually did. It was incredibly dull and perhaps the only saving grace was Kawakami giving him free time. Akira was able to get a bit more sleep. 

Other than that, school was a pain to get through. He answered the overly specific questions from his teachers wrong, received a few chalk pieces to his head, and failed in helping Ann with answering a question. 

It was a strange contrast. During the day, Akira was a regular student going through a bland day like hundreds of thousands of other people. During the day, Akira was normal. Once school ended, he would meet up at LeBlanc with his friends and don the masks that the people of Japan admired and hated. 

As he rode the train to Yongen-jaya, he enjoyed his last moments of normalcy. Right now, he was one of millions, just a face in the crowd. Once he stepped into the Metaverse, his normal student facade would melt away and his identity as the leader of the Thieves would solidify. And usually, after heists, he would return to being a normal student, albeit temporarily. Today won’t be the same. Today he will be targeted and caught, his identities as Akira Kurusu, regular student, and Joker, the wanted Phantom Thief, will blend. He won’t be able to return to normalcy for a long time. 

“Today’s the big day,” Morgana piped up from the bag, “Are you ready?” 

Akira nodded his head as he exited through the train’s sliding doors. As he walked out of the subway station, Morgana was uncharacteristically quiet. Akira chalked it up to nerves (although Morgana wasn’t one to easily get nervous), perhaps Morgana was antsy about the heist and the inevitable betrayal. 

His theories were shot down as Morgana let out a small sigh, and buried himself deeper into the bag. “Akira, I’m really sorry. Just an apology ahead of time. Please don’t be angry.” 

Akira fixed Morgana with a questioning look, hoping Morgana would continue. Morgana said nothing, as he ducked down underneath the zipper of the bag, curling up inside. Worry and confusion clouded Akira’s thoughts, and if it wasn’t for the route being ingrained in his daily habits and instincts, he most likely would have gotten lost in Yongen-jaya’s alleys. 

Even once he was upstairs, waiting for the other Phantom Thieves, Morgana still wouldn’t crack. He just perched himself on the table that Akira used for meetings, and observed Akira’s movements without a word. Akira was in the middle of constructing some last-minute infiltration tools when the Thieves started to file in. 

First Futaba entered, as she lived the closest to LeBlanc. She was strangely quiet, as she lowered herself down on the chair, absentmindedly petting Morgana. They both said nothing. Akira thought that this strange situation could be explained by the solemn atmosphere, that they both were wary for the upcoming battle. That is until the other Thieves started to file in. 

Aside from Yusuke and Akechi, who were both arriving late due to attending other schools, the rest of the Thieves were in the attic. As Akira was finishing the last few lockpicks, he could feel six sets of eyes concentrated on him. 

“Akira, I think we need to talk,” Makoto started. If there was something Akira could rely on Makoto for, it was being upfront and frank. What was a bit alarming was the lines of worry etched into her features. Makoto was usually the calm and collected member of the team, but right now she was uncharacteristically nervous, every so often, she would fidget on the old, broken down couch.

“Mona, told us that Akechi has been acting strangely,” Haru started, her usual soft expression turning dark, “I’m quite worried for your safety, especially with his plans.” 

Well, Akira wasn’t planning on being betrayed twice today. He turned hurt eyes on Morgana who looked down at his paws. 

“Yeah, it’s not like you to suddenly send Mona to me without a reason,” Futaba piped up. “Mona explained everything and I thought that I should talk to the rest of the Thieves about this.” 

Makoto stopped fidgeting, her previous nervous expression steeled and she focused her serious, maroon eyes on Akira, “We can’t assume that Akechi doesn’t have any ulterior motives for doing this Akira. Frequenting 777, where you work, and not providing a solid reason why, is very suspicious.” 

Ann pushed one of her pigtails behind her shoulder, pulling up an article on her phone. She shoved it towards Akira, leaning over to reach his shabby tool making desk. On her screen were flashy articles covered in Akechi’s face with clickbait titles. “They’re not big, but there’s some rumors going around that Akechi may like someone. Apparently, he’s been frequenting places that he usually doesn’t and his classmates have seen him texting someone often. Right now, these rumors are just small fan theories…” 

“But, we are just wondering if you happen to know if there’s some truth to them,” Haru finished. 

Akira placed down his lockpicking tools, trying to ignore the slight shake to his hands and the tiny tremor that captured his voice for a moment. If anyone noticed, they didn’t mention anything. “Akechi told me that he visited to understand me, to get closer.” 

“Was that all?” Haru asked, folding her hands in her lap, and although she provided Akira with a comforting smile, he could sense the edge in it. Akira couldn’t blame her. They were talking about the boy who was about to betray them all. 

Morgana finally looked up. “I’m just worried, Akira. We don’t know, for sure, why Akechi was frequenting 777. And I don’t know why he requested to talk to you in private.” 

Akira tried to go through possible excuses and explanations that didn’t sound too incriminating. How does he explain to his friends that Akechi wanted to talk about their relationship, but at the end of the night, Akira was holding his hand and kissing his lips? He was completely sure that revealing the complex relationship that he and Akechi shared would not bode well. 

Thankfully, Makoto came to his rescue. “It does seem like something Akechi would do,” she said, silencing the murmurs of the Thieves. “Think about it, Akechi is planning on betraying us and ultimately Akira. He’s trying to get closer to Akira, so he doesn’t suspect a thing.” 

And Makoto’s words were rational and logical, they always were. Makoto was the member of the group that usually kept a cool head and looked at everything objectively. As a result, her words stung. How much of what she said, true? Were the moments that Akira’s and Akechi’s hands linked part of Akechi’s plan? Was their whole relationship built on lies and deceit? Should Akira even be surprised? 

So Akira turned back to his lockpicking tool to finish the last one. He gave the rest of the Thieves a brief, confident smile, one that Joker would wear. 

“You’re definitely right Makoto,” he replied, focusing on the last lockpick, so his mind wouldn’t wander too much. “Akechi is planning something against us, so we have to stay on high alert.” 

As he busied himself with the last lockpick, he could hear murmurs of confirmation from his fellow Thieves. 

“We’re about to get to the big boss fight! We can’t go AFK now!” 

“I see, perhaps we were overthinking things. I apologize.” 

“Dude! I told them so. No way was Ann’s rumors true!” 

“Hey, Ryuji! I never said they were true.” 

“Lady Ann is right!”

“What matters is that we trust Akira’s judgement,” Makoto spoke up. “His frequent visits, along with a clandestine meeting with Akira is suspicious, and we have to presume there’s probably malicious intent behind it.” 

“We’ve got this,” Akira said, turning to his teammates. He pushed aside his nervousness and hesitation, and wore the easygoing guise of the Phantom Thief leader. 

“Ah, it seems that I missed something,” Yusuke announced as he ascended the stairs. 

“Inari! You’re later than usual!” 

“I apologize,” Yusuke said, sitting down in one of the seats, crossing his legs. “It appears that I had a meeting with fate.” 

“Whaaa?” Futaba asked, cocking her head at Yusuke. 

“I was quite famished after school, and I was wary of what effect this may have on me, especially inside the palace,” a dramatic pause, “and fate seemed to bless me. As I walked past some stores, they were offering a range of free food samples.” 

Akira watched as Futaba deflated in her chair, raising an eyebrow at the eccentric teen. 

“It seems that I was distracted by this offering of free food, I got a bit sidetracked.” 

And as simple as that, the tense atmosphere melted away, the attic filled with light laughter. Akira couldn’t be more grateful for the friends he had, they were all there for him and supported him through everything (but would they still support him, if he told them the whole truth about Akechi?). Akira allowed himself to be swept off into the moment, a small, minuscule smile on his face as Futaba leaned across the table, inspecting Yusuke’s collection of food. 

Where would Akira be without his friends? Most likely, struggling through school only to return to an empty attic. Without his friends, criminals like Kaneshiro and Kamoshida would still be roaming the world, preying on innocents. Without his friends, Futaba would still be confined in her mental prison. Akira knew that without his friends, his path to ruin would be concrete and the rehabilitation that Igor, Justine, and Caroline speak of, would never be obtained. So for the first time today, he allowed his worries to wash away. Because as long as he had his friends, things would turn out alright. 

“Hello, I apologize for the wait,” came a familiar voice, one that restored the tense atmosphere, “I had a small holdup at the station.” 

“Let me guess, your adoring fans?” Ryuji scoffed. 

Akira tried to focus on Akechi, get any answers from him. Why has he been avoiding Akira? What exactly was he planning? Akechi looked everywhere, but Akira, keeping his true feelings behind his detective prince mask. 

“Ah, I suppose you’re correct, Sakamoto-kun,” Akechi replied, bashfully adjusting his uniform jacket. “I didn’t think I would attract that much attention.” 

Akira knew Akechi. He knew that Akechi was waiting for confirmation, for someone to reply “Wow Akechi, you are popular!”. Akechi was patiently waiting for a compliment so his ego could be stroked. Akira didn’t give in. 

Ann, however, caved in a bit, “Makes sense, I mean you’re pretty famous!”

“Whatever man, now that we’re done waiting on you, are we going into the palace or what?” Ryuji asked. 

All the Thieves slipped into excited chatter as the familiar feel of the Metaverse enveloped them. The first time that Akira went to the Metaverse (on purpose), it felt like he was slipping, the other world grabbing him and bringing him in. It was jarring to say the least. The more he did it, the more it felt like second nature. But as he locked eyes with Akechi for a brief moment, his body felt weak and the travel into the Metaverse felt sickening. Because the look in Akechi’s eyes isn't soft. His eyes were hard and serious, and his look was resolute. Whatever he was planning, he was dead on delivering. 

* * *

Everything was going according to plan. The Thieves were making their way to Sae’s treasure (save for a few detours towards treasure chests) with relatively few troubles. Akira chose Morgana as healer, Akechi for offense, and Makoto for buffs and attack. Everything was going smoothly. Although as Akira ascended the steps of the bridge, he couldn’t shake the heavy weight that buried itself inside him. 

As they made their way to their goal, he stole a few glances at Akechi. Trying to get something, anything from the boy. Akechi deliberately kept his face blank, not allowing himself to slip at all. 

It felt like time was ticking down. As they made it closer to their destination, Akira accepted the brutal truth. Akechi was avoiding him, maybe to make things easier for him or maybe Akira, or perhaps the both of them. Akechi wouldn’t look at Akira because that meant coming face-to-face with the one he lied to and deceived, all in the name of revenge. And Akira had to accept that his team’s safety came first and foremost, so he turned away from Akechi as they were a few feet from the entrance. Two feet. One foot. 

They made it inside the room and the pedestal where the treasure was supposed to be, wasn’t there. Within moments, Sae’s voice filled the room, inviting them into another room. 

“Get ready everyone!” Mona shouted. 

With newfound determination, the team surged forward. 

Once they passed through the doors, it was obvious they would have to fight Sae. The first part of the fight was easy enough, once they figured out the whole punishment rule and the glass case. Things after that turned complicated. 

Akira ended up being responsible for any healing that Mona couldn’t cover and had to debuff Sae so she wouldn’t take down the team. Before long, his SP was dropping low and so was his general energy. He mentally cursed himself for not getting enough rest the previous night and also for some of his careless mistakes during the battle. While he convinced himself that he was fully focused on the battle and not other issues, his mind wandered every now and then. 

He found himself using Matarunda twice in a row and casting Marakukaja shortly after Queen did. 

He saw the occasional questioning glances Queen and Mona gave him. 

It didn’t get bad until they finally ebbed Sae’s health down low. The Thieves watched as Sae skyrocketed her attack at the cost of her defense falling. By this point, their SP was dribbling down and Mona had to be subbed with Panther. 

And Akira started to get reckless. Sae was maybe one strong hit away from being defeated. Akira was the hardest hitting member and if he skipped guarding for one turn, he could attack her. It was dangerous and he didn’t think about it. 

So, he ordered each of his teammates to guard, _just in case_. He was confident that Sae would be defeated. He knew for sure, his persona was strong enough. 

“Unicorn!” he shouted, feeling the power course through his veins, “Kouga!” 

And it was supposed to end there. Maybe if he was more attentive, more clear-minded. Sae’s shadow watched as the move missed, letting out a wicked laugh. Akira felt himself grow cold. His health was low, he knew that. But he didn’t want to return to the Velvet Room again, to be scolded by Igor, and told something about ruin and rehabilitation or something. He wanted to win. He wanted to complete his rehabilitation. 

He didn’t want to fail. 

But as he watched Sae charge at him with her attack, Akira felt his hope fade away. She was too quick. His wounds were too great. At this point, each bone in his body was screaming in agony and Igor’s laugh didn’t sound too far away. 

Suddenly, he found himself falling. Except he didn’t see the familiar chains, prison garb, and blue. Instead, he made contact with the cold floor. Above him, Crow was bent over. Behind his red mask, crimson eyes narrowed in fury. Akira trailed his eyes downwards and saw red spotting the side of Crow’s princely outfit. The white fabric was quickly turning red, blood soaking the pristine outfit. And although Akechi was supposed to kill him, Akira couldn’t help but feel bad. 

He was about to extend his hand, letting Diarama wash over Crow, but as soon as he moved, Crow slapped his hand away. 

“Focus, Joker!” he hissed, in a cold voice, stalking away before Akira could even say anything. 

Akira didn’t have time to wonder why Akechi couldn’t just let him die there (wouldn’t it have been easier for him) before he had to shoot up to cast Marakukaja with his remaining SP. 

The rest of the fight was easier. Panther healed Crow, and Crow finished off Sae. The Thieves surrounded Sae’s downed shadow, as she gave them her last, defeated words. Akira tried to focus on what she was saying, but the buzz in his head was growing. Soon, everything will change.

They were ready though. They had the fake treasure prepared, the briefcase. Additionally, Futaba was in her persona ready to announce when the police came and with better acting skills than Ann, to sound surprised. The Thieves were ready to retreat and ultimately, for Akira to be caught. From there, they would just have to mess with the Metaverse a bit, and all will be well. 

Sae finished her speech and collapsed to the ground. It was around this point that the police were supposed to get here, or that’s at least what the Thieves understood. 

“Alright, everyone, we’ve got the Treasure, let’s head out,” Oracle spoke, although Akira couldn’t notice the small hesitation in her voice. 

They were all ready to book it. While they were running, Akira was sure that Oracle would pick up on foreign signals and their grand plan would go into action. 

But by the time they made it to the Member’s floor, something felt wrong. 

“Hey, guys!” Skull shouted, skidding to a stop. “Where’s Crow?” 

All of the Thieves came to an abrupt stop. Akira spun around, searching the Member’s floor desperately. This couldn’t be happening. The Thieves knew Akechi’s plan. They had discussed it a million times, they each knew it by heart. 

“Not only that,” Oracle interrupted, “I’m still not getting any traces of people in the Palace.” 

The Thieves broke out into worried whispering and Akira felt like his head was spinning. 

“I don’t sense Crow nearby, at all,” Oracle said, her voice unsteady. 

“I’m so done with this and his plans! What the hell is he planning?!” Ryuji shouted, throwing his crowbar down at the ground. 

They did a quick search of the palace, checking briefly inside the arena, dice room, and the lobbies. As time went on, it became more apparent. Akechi didn’t open the Metaverse for anyone, but himself to leave. 

The police never came. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cliffhanger~
> 
> Thank you for reading and once I finish this fic, I have more ideas for the p5 fandom! Thank you everyone!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone who read this!! I would appreciate feedback and I hope you liked it!  
> I hope to grow as a writer and improve!


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